AN  APPEAL 

to  the 

Conscience 

of  the 

Civilized  World 

V 


Published  by  the 

NATIONAL  ASSOCIATION 

for  the 

ADVANCEMENT  of  COLORED  PEOPLE 


70  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 


FEBRUARY,  1920 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/appealtoconscienOOnati 


HE  Directors  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion for  the  Advancement  of  Colored 
People,  70  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
City,  feel  constrained  to  publish  to  the  world 
certain  facts  with  regard  to  the  -treatment  of 
Negroes  in  the  United  States. 

Despite  appeals  to  civil  authorities  and 
public  opinion,  barbarous  excesses  continue  to 
be  practised  against  colored  Americans.  In 
the  year  1919,  eighty-four  persons  were  mur- 
dered by  mobs  or  “lynched,”  of  whom  seventy- 
eight  were  Negroes,  and  eleven  were  publicly 
burned  alive. 

In  the  thirty  years,  1889-1918,  lynching 
mobs  murdered  3,224  persons  in  the  United 
States,  of  whom  2,522  were  Negroes  and  702 
were  white  persons.  Of  the  Negro  victims 
fifty  were  women. 

The  following  record,  it  is  hoped,  will 
make  its  appeal  to  those  persons  everywhere, 
to  whom  civilization  is  something  more  than 


a name. 


Part  I 


LYNCHING 

BURNED  ALIVE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

IN  1919 


NAME 

DATE 

PL.TCE 

Bragg,  Williams 

..  Januarv  20 

...  Hillsboro,  Te.xas 

Bud  Johnson 

March  14 

Pace,  Florida 

Lloyd  Clay 

Mav  14 

\'icksburg,  ^Mississippi 

Frank  Livingston 

May  21 

Eldorado,  Arkansas 

John  Hatfield 

June  26 

.Ellisville,  Mississippi 

Obe  Cox 

September  10  . 

Oglethorpe  Co.,  Georgia 

Will  Brown 

September  28 

Omaha,  Nebraska 

Jack  Gordon 

...October  7 

Lincolnton,  Georgia 

Will  Brown 

October  7 

Lincolnton,  Georgia 

Paul  Jones 

November  3 

Macon,  Georgia 

JORD.\N  J.VMESON 

...November  11 

Alagnolia,  Arkansas 

4 


TWO  BURNINGS 


1 


The  Burning  of  William  Brown,  Omaha,  Nebraska,  September  28,  1919 


2 


Press  Headline  Reproduced  from  Pholgraphic  Copy 

3,P00JlflLL  BURN  NEGRO 

Kaiser  Under  Stronger  Guard  Following  Escape  Of  Crown  Prince 

NEW  ORLEANS  STATES 

VOL  39.  NO  1"  "'.‘JTA’  NEW  OELEANS,  LA  TgUEEDAY.  JUNE  26,  IBI9 


5 


Lynching  in  the  United  States  in  1919 


BY  STATES 


Alabama . 

. . . (1  white) 

8 

Nebraska. 

Arkansas 

10 

North  Carolina. 

Colorado.  

(Mexicans) 

2 

South  Carolina. ...  . . .. 

Florida . . 

5 

Tennessee... ..  

Georgia 

22 

Texas.  

Kansas... 

(white) 

1 

Washington  ... ....  ..(white) 

Louisiana 

8 

West  Virginia 

Mississippi  

12 

Total... 

klissouri  

.(1  white) 

2 

(78  Colored,  6 Whites) 

THE  MANNER  OF  LYNCHING  WAS  AS  FOLLOWS 

Burned 

14 

Cut  to  pieces 

(11  Before  Death, 

3 After  Death) 

Drowned. 

Shot ..  

31 

Manner  unknown 

Hanged 

24 

Beaten  to  death 

2 

Total  

THE 

ALLEGED  CAUSES 

WERE  AS  FOLLOWS 

'\liirrler 

.AciRpiilt.  on  white  woman  ..  . 

Attempted  assault  on 

white  woman  . 

■ ■ 

Insulting  white  woman 

Intimacy  with  white  woman..,..  

Attempting  to  pull  white  woman  from  horse.... 

Shooting  white  man.. 

Assault  on  white  man... . 

Altercation  with  white  man 

Beating  and  robbing  white  man . . .. 

Found  under  bed  in  white  man’s  house 

Not  turning  out  of  road  for  white  boy  in  auto.  . .. 

Misleading  mob. . . . . 

Insulting  white  man... ... 

Boastful  remarks  re  killing  of  sheriff . . 

Result  of  race  riot . . 

Talking  of  Chicago  Riot 

Expressing  himself  too  freely  re  lynching  of  Negro 

Leader  among  Negroes 

Circulating  incendiary  literature . 

Member  of  Non  Partisan  League 

Trouble  between  white  and  colored  cotton  mill  workers. 

Abetting  riot 

Causes  unknown 

Total 


1 

4 

2 

. 1 

. 3 

) 1 

. 2 

. 84 

1 

. 1 

. 11 

..  84 

27 

14 

5 

o 

2 

1 

7 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4 

4 

. 84 


6 


The  Lyn'ching  in  Lee  County,  Ga.,  January  20,  1916 
{From  an  actual  photograph) 


7 


COLORED  MEN  WHO  SERVED  IN  THE  WORLD  WAR 
LYNCHED  DURING  1919 

March  14  Pace,  Fla.:  BUD  JOHNSON,  taken  from  officers  and  burned  to  death 
by  mob.  Said  to  have  confessed  to  attack  on  white  woman. 

Pickens,  Miss.:  , said  to  have  admitted  he  had 

hired  a woman  to  write  an  insulting  note  to  a white  woman. 

Eldorado,  Ark.:  FIU\NK  LIVINGSTON,  charged  with  killing  his  em- 
ployer and  the  latter’s  wife,  burned  to  death  by  mob  of  about  1-50. 

Tulv  15  Louise,  Miss.:  ROBERT  TRUETT,  said  to  have  made  indecent  proposals 
to  a white  woman.  Hanged. 

Aug.  • — Fayette  County,  Ga. : CHARLES  KELLY,  shot  to  death  by  white  man 
because  he  did  not  turn  out  of  the  road  soon  enough. 

Aug.  14  Pope  City,  Ga. : JIM  GRANT,  alleged  to  have  shot  a white  man  and  his 
son.  Hanged. 

Sept.  29  Montgomery,  Ala.:  ROBERT  CROSKEY,  charged  with  having  assaulted 
a white  woman.  Shot. 

Sept.  3 Star  City,  Ark.:  FLINTON  BRIGGS,  accused  of  having  insulted  white 
woman.  Shot. 

Dec.  21  Smithville,  Ga. : CHARLES  WEST,  accused  of  murder  of  white  man. 
Shot. 

Sept.  10  Clarksdale,  Miss.:  L.  B.  REED,  accused  of  intimacy  with  white  woman. 


POLICE  AUTHORITIES  FAIL  TO  PROTECT  PRISONERS 


During  1919,  victims 

of  mobs  were 

taken  from  officers  and  jails, 

and  l3Tiched 

in  thirtjMour  instances  as 

follows; 

Alabama 

3 

Nebraska 

1 

Arkansas 

2 

North  Carolina 

. 2 

Colorado 

2 

Tennessee 

. 1 

Florida 

4 

Texas 

..  3 

Georgia 

5 

Washington 

. 1 

Louisiana 

3 

West  Virginia 

. 2 

Mississippi 

..  3 

— 

Missouri 

2 

34 

April  9 
May  21 


Chattanooga  Daily  Times,  Feb.  13,  1918 


^shville  Banner,  Feb.  18,  1918 


TORTURED  AND 
THEN  BURNED 

Estil I Springs  Scene  of  Blood- 
curdling Lynciung. 


JIM  M’lLHERRON,  NEGRO, 
EXECUTED  BY  MASKED  MEN 


Thousands  of  Men,  Women  and  Chil- 
dren Witness  Proceedings,  Many 
<^rying  for  the  Negro’s  Biood 
Slayer  of  J?odgers  and 
Tigert  Captured  Tuesday. 

Chiltauco^'i  Tvves  8'e.  inl 

ESTTLL  SPRINGS,  Temi,  Feb. 
12. — Jiin  McJlherron.  the  negro 
A' ho  .sTiot  and  killed  Pierce  Rod- 

Chattanooga  Daily  Times,  Feb.  11,  1918 


MOB  KILLS 
PREACHER 


Negro  Minister  Shot  When 
He  Resists  Arrest. 


PURSUERS  OF  M’lLHERRON 
ON  TRAIL  OF  MURDERER  | 


Victim  of  Alob  Was  Accused  of  Har- 
boring and  Aiding  Fleeing  Black 
to  Escape — Expect  Capture 
Within  Few  Hours. 


Cli’itluitooga  Times  Special. 

NASH  VII/ LE,  Feb.  10.— G.  W. 
Lynch,  a negro  preacher,  was  shot  to 
death  when  he  resisted  arrest  Sunday 
afternoon  at  3:30  at  his  home  in  Prairie 
Springs,  a negro  settlement  twelve  miles 


Shreveport  Journal,  March  1,  1918 

FIVEEACKS  are! 
SAID  TO  BE  DEAD! 
IN  LYNCHING  BEEi 

( j 

i 

j Report  Killing  Near  Delhi 
Has  Been  Terribly 
Revenged. 


I DETAILS  OF  AFFAIR 
NOT  OBTAINABLE  NOW 


Negroes  Said  to  Have  Been 
Dragged  With  Ropes  Be- 
fore Ljmching. 


Special  to  The  Journal. 

MONROE,  La.,  March  1— Tele- 
phone reports  from  Rayville  are 
to  the  effect  that  three  negroes, 
named  Jim  Lewis,  Jim  Jones  and 
Will  Powell  were  lynched  near 

Washington  Daily  Times,  Feb.  13,  1918 


Today 

A Man  Burned  Alive — 

Not  in  Prussia — 

Here,  in  America, 

And  a Lady  Applauds. 

Excuse  the  orhissioa  of  any 
reference  to  “Prussian  brutality” 
from  this  column  for  just  one  day. 

We  Americans  in  the  proud  and' 
civilized  State  of  Tennessee  have 
just  burned  a negro  to  death.  De- 
tails of  this  interesting  perform- 
ance should  take  our  mind  off 
Prussian  cruelty  for  a while. 

The  negro  was  not  accused  of 
“the  usual  crime,”  an  attack  on 
woman  supposed  to  explain  any 
brutality.  He  had  shot  two  mien 
and  wounded  a third. 

When  they  got  him  they  tied 
him  to  a tree  and  burned  him  for 
a while  with  hot  irons  to  make  him 
confess  something — which  is  going 
some  distance  back  in  the  history 
of  justice. 


DEATH  AT  STAKE 
FOB  M’ltHERBON 

Estill  Springs  Mob  Metes  0u‘ 
Awful  Vengeance  to  Ne- 
gro Murderer. 

SEIZED  ON  HIS  ARRiVAl 

Hot  Iron  Applied  to  Make  Hin 
Confess — Others  of  His 
Race  Marched  to 
Scene. 


MASKED  MEN  TAKE  CHARGE 

Special  to  the  Banner. 

Estill  Springs,  Tenn.,  Feb.  13. —This 
place  Is  quiet  again  to-day,  following 
.the  burning  Tuesday  night  of  Jim  Mc- 
llherron,  the  Fegro  who  shot  and  killed. 
Pierce  Rogers  and  Jesse  Tigert  and  - 
wounded  Frank  Tigert  last  Fridab.  1 
i-'cllowing  his  capture  four  and  a halfJ 

Chattanooga  Daily  Times,  Feb.  14,  1918 

charrTdb^dy^ 

TO  RELATIVES 


Victim  of  Mob  Taken  From 
Tree  by  Negroes. 


COMMUNITY  NOW  QUIET; 

NO  ONE  MENTIONS  NAMES 

Remains  of  Mcllherron  Hung  to 
Hickory  All  Night  and  Part  of  Day 
as  Negroes — Story 

of  Burning  Told. 


(i) ® 

Rye  Regrets  Lynching. 

Chattanooga  Times  Special-. 

NASHVILLE,  Feb.  13.— 
‘"The  lynching  at  Estill.  Springs 
as  ei’’en  in  the  morning  papers. 


9 


NUMBER  OF  WHITE  AND  COLORED  PERSONS 
LYNCHED  IN  UNITED  STATES,  1889-1919* 


Years 

Total 

White 

Colored 

1SS9 - 

175 

80 

95 

1890 

91 

3 

88 

1891 

194 

67 

127 

1892 

226 

71 

155 

1893 

153 

39 

114 

1894 

182 

54 

128 

1895 

178 

68 

no 

1890 : 

125 

46 

79 

1897...  

162 

38 

124 

1898 

. 127 

24 

103 

1899 - 

. 109 

22 

87 

1900..  

101 

12 

89 

1901-.  

-. 135 

27 

108 

1902..  

94 

10 

84 

1903 

104 

17 

87 

1904 

86 

7 

79 

1905  

65 

5 

60 

1906 

68 

4 

64 

1907 

62 

3 

59 

1908 

100 

8 

92 

1909 

89 

14 

75 

1910 

90 

10 

80 

1911 

71 

8 

63 

1912 

64 

3 

61 

1913...  

. . 48 

1 

47 

1914 

- 54 

5 

49 

1915.  

96 

43 

53 

1916  

...  ..  58 

7 

51 

1917 

50 

2 

48 

1918 

67 

4 

63 

1919  

84 

6 

78 

3,308 

708 

2,600 

♦Victims  of  race  riots  have  been  excluded  from  this  table. 

WOMEN  AND 

GIRLS  LYNCHED 

, BY  STATES, 

1889-1919 

Total  White 

Colored 

UNITED  STATES 

62  11 

51 

Alabama 

7 

Arkansas 

5 

Florida 

2 

Georgia 

5 

Kentucky 

1 

3 

Louisiana 

1 

4 

Mississippi 

1 

12 

Nebraska 

1 

North  Carolina 

1 

Oklahoma 

2 

South  Carolina 

4 

Tennessee 

2 

1 

Texas 

3 

6 

Virginia 

1 

10 


From  the  Jackson,  Miss.,  Daily  Neivs,  Thursday,  June  26,  1919. 


27th  YEAR 


JOHN  HARTHELD  WILL  BE 
LYNCHED  BY  ELLISVILLE  MOB 
AT  5 OUOCK  THIS  ARERNOON 


Governor  Bilbo  Says  He  Is  Powerless  to  Prevent  It — 
Thousands  of  People  Ai*e  Flocking  Into  Ellisville  to 
Attend  the  Evenr — Sheriff  and  Authorities  Are  Power- 
less to  Prevent  It. 


HATTIESBURG,  June  26. 
alleged  to  have' assaulted  an 
been  taken  to  Ellisville  and  i»  j 
of  Ur.  Carter  in  that  eit>.  He 
not  seriously.  The  oft'icers  ha 
tlie  people  of  the  city  at  4 o’c 
expected  he  will  he  burned.  1 
a jtartial  confession. 


;OV.  BILBO  KAYS 
tiK  IS  POWERLESS. 

When  Gov.  Bilbo  was  shown  the 
©bove  dispatch  and  asked  what 
action,  if  any,  he  intended  to  take 
to  prevent  the  affair,  he  said: 

1 am  powerless  to  i)revent  it. 
'We  have  guns  for  state  militia, 
but  no  nien.  It  is  imimssible  to 
send  troops  to  the  scene  for  the 
obvious  reason  that  we  have  no 
troops. 

~Sev<  r.al  n^vs  '‘•'‘•''■natine' 


— John  Harttield,  the  negro 
Ellisville,  young  woman,  has 
;uarded  by  officers  in  the  Oft'k'c 
is  wounded  in  the  shoulder  but 
ve  agreed  to  turn  him  over  to 
lock  this  afternoon  when  it  is 
he  negro  is  said  to  have  made 

for  the  lynching  has  now  been  fixed 
for  five  p.  m. 

A committee  of  Ellisville  citizens  has 
been  appointed  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  the  event,  and  the 
mob  is  pledged  to  act  in  conformity 
with  these  arrangements. 

Rev.  L.  G.  Gates,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Laurel,  left  here  at 
one  o’clock  for 'Ellisville  to  entreat  the 
mob  to  use  discretion. 


THOL.SaXDS  f-.r-'  r- 

t,... — la 


11 


From  Memphis  Nesvs  Scimitar 
January  21,  1919 


From  the  Chattanooga  (Tennessee),  Times, 
February  13,  1918 


TEXANS,  FEARING 
DELAT  IN  APPEAL, 
INCINEM  NEGRO 

Itasca  Citizens  Proceed  in 
Orderly  Manner  at  Hillsboro 
and  in  Broad  Daylight  to 
Summary  Justice. 


HILLSBORO.  Tex.,  Jan.  21.— Bragg 
.-Wilian".  c negro,  under  death  sentence 
for  murder  of  Mrs.  George  Wells 
and  child,  at  Itasca,  was  taken  from 
"'it  county  jail  here  at  noon  yesterday 
by  a mob  and  burned  at  the  stake.  The 
crowd  was  orderly  and  there  was  little 
excitement.  Notice  of  appeal  from  the 
sentence  was  filed  by  Williams'  attor- 
neys Monday,  and  this  action  is  said 
to  have  led  the  mob  to  taking  the  case 
into  its  own  hands  Mrs,  Wells  and 
Mr  Child  were  foVjnd  murdered  in  their 
home  near  Itasca  on  Dec.  2,  1918.  Wil- 
liams was  arrested  on  the  day  of  the 
murder  and  spirited  away  to  avoid 
threatened  violence. 

The  negro  was  convicted  of  the  mur- 
ders here  last  week  and  taken  to  DaD 
las  for  safe  keeping.  Texas  rangers 
Vho  guarded  the  courtroom  durii.g  the 
trial  bfought  Williams  back  from  Dal- 
las Sunday  night  and  lodged  him  in 
jail,  after  which -the  rangers  left  Hills- 
boro. 

Yesterday  morning  Wiliams  was  ta- 
ken before  Judge  Horton  Porter  arid 
sentenced  to  be  hanged  on  Feb.  21. 
Attorneys  for  the  defendant  immediate- 
ly filed  notice  of  appeal.  This  is  said 
to  have  enraged  residents  of  the  Itasca 
neighborhood  present,  who  numbered 
several  score. 

A mob  was  organized  and  took  the 
law  into  its  own  hmid§..  County  at- 
tornhvs  attempted  to.  control  the 

crowd,  but  It  proceeded,  quietly  to  cut 
down  a ‘<5T6phbne  pole  v,hlch  was  used 
as  a battering  ram 'with  which  the 
door  was  brokeni\n.  The 
the  iail  were  then  rusheo,  the  negro, 
seized  and  taken  to  the  public  square, 
where  he  w’as  tied  to  r.  post.  Boxes 
barrels  and  other  fuel  matter,  ovet 
^ich  oil  had  been  scattered.  fUrnisne 

'^'’Between  300  and  400  persons,  inclu 
inK  dozens  of  women,  looked  on  aa  tlr 
negro  burned.  The  body  was  entirely 
confeumed  in  Ab6ut  40  rninutes,  after 
which  the  crow^l  quietly  dispersed. 


“Jim  Mcllherron,  the  Negro  who  shot 
and  killed  Pierce  Rodgers  and  Jesse 
Tigert,  two  w'hite  men,  at  Estill  Springs, 
last  Friday,  and  wounded  Frank  Tigert, 
was  tortured  with  a red-hot  crowbar  and 
then  burned  to  death  here  tonight  at 
7:40,  by  twelve  masked  men.  A crowd 
of  approximately  2,000  persons,  among 
whom  were  women  and  children  wit- 
nessed the  burning. 

“Mcllherron,  who  was  badly  wounded 
and  unable  to  walk,  was  carried  to  the 
scene  of  the  murder,  where  preparation 
for  a funeral  pyre  was  begun. 

“The  captors  proceeded  to  a spot  about 
a quarter  of  a mile  from  the  railroad 
station  and  prepared  the  death  fire.  The 
crowd  followed  and  remained  throughout 
the  horrible  proceedings.  The  Negro 
was  led  to  a hickory  tree,  to  which  thej’' 
chained  him.  After  securing  him  to  the 
tree  a fire  was  laid.  A short  distance 
awaj’  another  fire  was  kindled,  and  into 
it  W’as  put  an  iron  bar  to  heat. 

“When  the  bar  became  red  hot  a mem- 
ber of  the  mob  jabbed  it  toward  the 
Negro’s  body.  Crazed  with  fright,  the 
black  grabbed  hold  of  it,  and  as  it  was 
pulled  through  his  hands  the  atmos- 
phere was  filled  with  the  odor  of  burning 
flesh.  This  was  the  first  time  the  mur- 
derer gave  evidence  of  his  will  being 
broken.  Scream  after  scream  rent  the 
air.  As  the  hot  iron  was  applied  to 
various  parts  of  his  body  his  yells  and 
cries  for  mercy  could  be  heard  in  the  town. 

“After  torturing  the  Negro  several 
minutes  one  of  the  masked  men  poured 
coal  oil  on  his  feet  and  trousers  and  ap- 
plied a match  to  the  pyre.  As  the 
flames  rose,  enveloping  the  black’s  body 
he  begged  that  he  be  shot.  Yells  of 
derision  greeted  his  request.  The  angry 
flames  consumed  his  clothing  and  little 
blue  blazes  shot  upward  from  his  burning 
hair  before  he  lost  consciousness.” 


12 


From  the 

Memphis  {Tennessee)  Press 
May  22,  1919 


“They  burned  the  ax  fiend  to 
death  this  morning. 

“Fifteen  thousand  of  them — 
men,  women,  even  little  children, 
and  in  their  midst  the  black- 
clothed  figure  of  Antoinette  Rap- 
pal’s  mother  cheered  as  they  poured 
the  gasoline  on  him  and  struck  the 
match. 

“They  fought  and  screamed  and 
crowded  to  get  a glimpse  of  him, 
and  the  mob  closed  in  and  strug- 
gled around  the  fire  as  the  flames 
flared  high  and  the  smoke  rolled 
over  their  heads. 

“Two  of  them  hacked  off  his  ears 
as  he  burned;  another  tried  to  cut 
off  a toe  but  they  stopped  him. 

“They  crowded  in  and  crowded 
out,  so  that  all  might  see  the  burn- 
ing body.  And  they  were  still 
surging  around  it  when  the  flesh 
had  been  burned  from  the  bones 
and  the  withered  frame  of  what  was 
once  a human  being  lay  crackling 
in  the  flames.” 


The  Burning  of  Lloyd  Clay  in 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  on 
May  f,  1919,  as  described  on 
the  first  page  of  the  Vicksburg 
{Miss.)  Evening  Post. 


“The  mob  fell  upon  the  Negro, 
snatching  away  his  clothes  and 
beating  him.  He  was  dragged 
further  toward  First  North.  ‘Shall 
we  do  it?’  asked  a big  man  of  the 
crowd.  The  answer  came  in  long 
continued  cheers  of  approval.  . . . 
The  Negro  was  hauled  up  five  feet 
but  slipped  back.  The  sight  of  the 
nude  body  rising  above  the  crowd 
increased  the  excitement.  . . . 
‘Shoot  him,’  someone  called.  ‘No, 
no,’  came  the  answer,  ‘let  him  die 
slow.’  The  Negro,  with  head 
twisted,  dangled  limply  from  the 
line.  Seeing  that  Clay  was  merely 
suffering  discomfort,  men  below  be- 
gan to  jerk  his  legs.  Others 
smeared  kerosene  upon  the  body, 
while  others  prepared  a bonfire 
below,  saturating  the  material  with 
gasoline.  . . . The  flesh  on  the 
body  began  to  crinkle  and  blister. 
The  face  of  the  Negro  became  hor- 
ribly distorted  with  pain.  He  as- 
sumed an  attitude  of  prayer,  raising 
his  hands,  palms  together.  . . . 
The  legs  of  the  corpse  curled  back- 
ward grewsomely.  . . . The  grizzly 
form  was  allowed  to  dangle  for  an 
hour  and  a half  in  the  moonlight. 
. . . Men  of  all  classes,  women  and 
even  children  witnessed  the  scene. 
The  whole  affair  had  been  witnessed 
by  many  ladies  who  followed  the 
mob  from  the  jail  and  others  who 
joined  the  crowd  on  the  terraces 
nearby.  . . . When  the  body  fell  to 
the  gutter  there  was  a great  rush 
for  bits  of  rope  as  souvenirs.” 


Part  II 

RACE  RIOTS 


Washington,  D.  C.:  “Nation’s  Capital  At  Mercy  of  The  Mob.”  Headline  on  page 
one  of  ]]\js/iiiigioii  Post,  Tuesday,  July  22,  1910. 

Rioting  in  main  streets  of  the  National  Capital  was  unchecked  during  four  nights, 
from  Saturday,  July  19,  until  Wednesday,  July  23. 

Six  jiersons  were  killed  outright,  fifty  seriously  injured,  and  hundreds  more  or 
less  se^'erely  wounded. 

Chicago,  Ilk:  At  least  thirty-six  persons  were  killed  outright,  by  official  report,  hun- 
dreds according  to  unofficial  reports,  in  race  rioting  which  lasted  from  Sunday,  July 
27.  to  Friday,  August  1.  Houses  were  wrecked  and  burned,  mobs  roamed  the 
streets,  and  it  was  necessary  to  put  seven  regiments  of  state  militia  under  anns. 

Omaha,  Neb.:  Federal  troojjs  commanded  by  General  Leonard  Wood  were  sent  to 
maintain  order  in  Omaha,  after  a mob  on  Sunday,  September  28,  had  lynched  a 
Negro,  hanged  the  Ma^mr  of  Omaha  until  he  was  at  the  point  of  death,  burned  the 
county  courthouse,  wrecked  and  looted  shops  and  seriously  injured  fifty  or  more 
citizens.  Three  persons  were  killed  outright  in  the  rioting. 

Knoxville,  Tenn.:  On  August  30,  a mob  of  white  persons  stormed  the  Kno.x  County 
Jail,  firing  on  officers  of  the  law,  liberating  sixteen  white  prisoners  of  whom  several 
were  convicted  murderers,  looting  the  house  of  the  sheriff,  stealing  stocks  of  con- 
fiscated whiskey.  The  mob  then  wrecked  and  looted  shops  and  invaded  the  colored 
residence  district.  At  least  seven  persons  were  killed  and  twenty  or  more  injured. 
A despatch  to  the  Xew  York  Siai,  of  September  5,  reported  the  mob’s  motive  to 
be  robbery,  not  lynching,  as  at  first  stated. 

Longview,  Texas:  Four  or  more  men  killed  outright  in  a riot  on  the  night  of  July  10, 
when  a mob  of  white  men  invaded  the  Negro  residence  district,  shooting  and  burning 
houses. 

Norfolk,  Va. : Receptions  of  home-coming  Negro  troops  had  to  be  susjjended  because 
of  riots  July  21,  in  which  six  persons  were  shot  necessitating  the  calling  out  of  marines 
and  sailors  to  assist  the  police. 

Philadelphia,  Pa.:  A riot  call  was  sent  to  all  West  Philadelphia  stations  July  7,  eight 
arrests  were  made,  and  one  man  was  taken  to  the  hospital  in  consequence  of  a race 
riot  at  a carnival. 

Charleston,  S.  C.:  One  or  more  men  were  killed  and  scores  were  shot  or  beaten  in  a 
race  riot  led  by  U.  .S.  sailors  May  10,  the  city  being  placed  under  martial  law. 

Bisbee,  Ariz.:  Clashes  occurred  on  July  3,  between  local  police  and  members  of  the 
Tenth  United  States  Cavalry  (colored),  whose  commander,  Lieut. -Col.  F.  S.  Snyder 
charged  that  local  officials  had  fleliberatcly  sought  to  aggravate  the  Negro  troopers. 
Five  jjersons  were  shot. 


14 


Part  III 
JUSTICE 


(From  the  New  York  World,  January  30,  1919) 

Whip  Dissenting  Juror 

He  Refuses  to  Agree  to  Verdict  of  Murder  and  is  Plunged  in  Mud 


Monroe,  La.,  Jan.  29. — Because  a jurjnnan  failed  to  agree  to  a verdict  of  guilty 
in  the  case  of  Alvin  Calhoun,  negro,  alleged  confessed  slayer  of  N.  E.  Arnold,  a young 
white  farmer,  a mob  publicly  whipped  the  recalcitrant  juror  and  then  dipped  him  in 
a mud-hole,  said  reports  reaching  here  to-night  from  Tallulah,  where  the  trial  was  held. 

After  his  chastisement,  the  report  said,  the  mud-covered  juror  returned  to  the 
jury  room  and  agreed  to  a verdict  of  murder  in  the  first  degree.  He  then  was  ordered 
to  leave  town  by  a delegation  of  citizens. 


15 


“I  therefore  very  earnestly  and  solemnly 
beg  that  the  governors  of  all  the  states,  the 
law  officers  of  every  community,  and  above  all, 
the  men  and  women  of  every  community  in 
the  United  States,  all  who  revere  America  and 
wish  to  keep  her  name  without  stain  or  re- 
proach, will  co-operate,  not  passively  merely, 
but  actively  and  watchfully  to  make  an  end  of 
this  disgraceful  evil.  It  cannot  live  where  the 
community  does  not  countenance  it.” 


July  26,  1918 


WOODROW  WILSON 


